Cheers,

- Mike

What I am saying is that it’s important to grow the Linux user base. This increases every members leverage, including, with attempts to do things like a “boycott” or get laws changed.

This is one thing I hope to start soon. http://www.linuxtoday.com/news_story.php3?ltsn=2009-02-03-015-35-IN-KN-0000

There’s also a lot of material on thetuxproject.com

Growing the base means growing our (everyone’s) leverage.

[aeshna23] >> I have no idea what to do yet, but it something we should all ponder. Of course, one idea is that we needn’t worry about them, since no contract is patent law.

I think this more or less covers my personal approach to avoiding patents as a dev http://boycottnovell.com/2009/02/05/novell-layoffs-rumour/#comment-59432 . A key point is to stay away from high risk situations.

The goal/means is less to do with boycotts and more to do with prevention. This is the first such patent deal in about a year. ”

A strategic response to these deals is clearly something we need to think about. I have no idea what to do yet, but it something we should all ponder. Of course, one idea is that we needn’t worry about them, since no contract is patent law. I just don’t know.

The goal/means is less to do with boycotts and more to do with prevention. This is the first such patent deal in about a year.

All of these patent threats, whenever exercised effectively against FOSS, take away from what people might otherwise have. Users can see and touch FOSS and acquire it and modify it free on their terms. There is a real sense of ownership there.

So the more users that use and exploit Linux+FOSS, the more likely fair patent laws will be passed. Similarly, the more users can create their own content and share it under FOSS-y licenses, the more likely fair copyright laws will be passed. And the more users that care about these things because they have something at stake they can see and touch, the more likely hardware companies and others will want to cater to those users and will be able to buck trends.